Night Caste
The Night Caste are spies and assassins of the Unconquered Sun. In the First Age, the Concealing Shadows gathered information and brought justice to places that normal warriors could not reach. When the Unconquered Sun sets, darkness claims the world. In the night, conspirators, criminals and foul spirits slink forth from their shadowy retreats. Exalted of the Night Caste defend Creation from these enemies and stalk their prey amidst a world of secrecy and lies. During the First Age, the Night Caste oversaw the safety and security of the Realm and its citizens. The Concealing Shadows brought swift justice to places the armies of the light could not reach. Where brute force failed, the Night Caste prevailed through stealth and trickery. After the Usurpation, the surviving Night Caste melted into the shadows and waged a bloody guerilla war that lasted for centuries. With the Solars’ return, the Hidden Suns once again stalk evildoers and silently assassinate Creation’s enemies. No wall can keep them at bay, and no treachery escapes their gaze. Members of the Night Caste are chosen from those who excel in stealth and guile and those who formulate clever solutions to difficult problems. Some are thieves or assassins, others are secretive scholars, clever city constables, master woodsmen, sly courtesans, fast-talking merchants or devious nobles. Anyone who favors skill and cunning over raw power could be Exalted into this caste. Concealing Shadows frequently become their circles’ eyes and ears, gathering information for the good of their groups. When a situation calls for unconventional solutions, it is the Night Caste that a circle often looks to for aid. Anathema The Dragon-Blooded talk of the Night Caste as relentless hunters who killed any who stood in the way of Anathema; they came at night because they were horrifying to behold during the day. They became known as the Wretched. Anima Anima Banner Night Caste Solars have an empty golden ring as their caste mark. The animas of these Exalted are ghostly whites and golds, tinged with purple and purple-gray. Anima Effect The Concealing Shadows have more control over their animas than the average Solar Exalted do. The Hidden Suns can mute their animas, allowing them to exert their powers without the display of power. When a Night Caste Solar expends Peripheral Essence, she may spend additional motes in order to prevent the expenditure from adding to her anima banner. This ability does not allow the character to mute Essence displays caused by the use of sorcery, however. To prevent the motes spent on a Charm that is not Obvious from adding to her anima banner, the character must add one mote to the cost of the Charm. When using an Obvious Charm, she must spend twice the normal mote cost of the Charm to prevent it from adding to her anima banner. The Nightbringer may also extend her muted anima like an imperceptible veil around her. This extended anima last for an entire scene and costs 10 motes of Essence to evoke. The anima mutes the senses of those attempting to perceive her, as well as the evidence she leaves behind for those who would follow her trail. Shadows are darker, sounds are muffled, and scent and footprints are both much lighter than normal. This muting increases the difficulty of all rolls to notice or track the Exalted by half the character’s Essence (round up), so long as this muted anima effect is active. Once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Essence, though she is just as obvious as any other Exalt, her features are completely obscured by her anima display. Thus, assuming none of them saw her prior to her anima flaring, witnesses would be aware a Solar had been in their midst, but not her identity. Caste Abilities Members of the Night Caste excel at noticing that which others miss and in going places where they are not wanted. They have a natural affinity for the Abilities of Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Larceny and Stealth. Other Associations The season of winter, the colors of violet and gray, the northern direction, the element of water, the Waning moon and the Maiden of Endings Sobriquets Hidden Suns, Concealing Shadows, Nightbringers, Iron Wolves, Daggers of Heaven, The Wretched (derogatory) Concepts Bounty hunter, escaped fugitive, gang leader, highwayman, king of thieves, neglected youngest sister, nobleman’s mistress, political spy, troubleshooter for hire See Also Category:Exalted glossary